Battery-charging apparatus.



V F. E. CASE. BATTERY CHARGING APPARATUS.

APPLIUATIOH nun NOV. 25. mos.

Patented Apr. 27, 1909.

lnveqCor Frank BCase.

, Afi'l'fy UN lTI ID StlA.'.l.ES .PATIENT OFFICE.

"BATTERY-CHARGING APPARATUS.

Application filed November 25, 1908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, FRANK ll. ('Asn, a citi- Zen of the United States, residing at. Schcn ectady, county of Schenectady, State of Ncw York, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Battery-tYharging; Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to apparatus for use in connection with the chargingof electric storage batteries. it is especiall r adapted for use in connection with the charging o'l storage batteries l'or automobiles, in which service it is highly desirable that means he provided for properly charging the batteries, irrespective of tie knowledge or care of the person having supervision of the work.

' \Vith my invention it is only necessary that the operator connect the terminals ol the battery to proper terminals connected with the source and then "close a single switch. When this is done charging will commence and will continue until the hattery is fully charged, whereupon the conncc ,tlon with the source will he automaticall t- "interrupted and further charging prcrentcd.

It is well known that the open circuit po tential across the terminals o'l a storage but- ]fery 'does not give a correct; imlication of the charged Condition of said battery. It. is a jact that the potential across the battery at no load may be as high when the batter is only artly charged as when it is in its full charge condition. The true condition of the battery is indicated when it is called upon furnish its normal amount of current. t n tier this condition it. is found that it the hatis low the voltage will at once tall considerably below no load value, while it the battery is in its full charged condition the potential at no load and full load will c more near-l3 the some. From this it ollo'ws that those forms of battery charging up actuating coil of the switch 3, actuating rod paratus which automatically interrupt the eoi n e ction with the source of current su ipl when the no load voltage across the iatterhas reached a certain value are unsatiso'ory, and it is an object of my invention to provide means [or automatically disconnecting-tile battery from the source when the battery has been charq'cd to that condition under which at nmmal load it furnishes the desired potential. To this end in carrying out my invention I rovide automatically operated means whic i, when thrown into operation, alternately connects the battery Specification of Letters Patent.

closed will he equal to or slightly Patented April 27, 1909.

Serial No. 464,376.

the current furnished by said battery when tully charged and short-circuited through a certain resistance, for controlling:- the opera;- tion of said automatimill o )erated means.

More s 'iecilically stated, my invention comprises a switch for connection the hattery to the source of current supply and antoinatically operating means for alternately closing: and opening said switch, combined with certain means, responsivmto the cur rent which the battery furnishes in its full charged condition when short circuited through a certain resistance, for interrupting the operation ol'sald automatically operating means.

lfiy invention will he lllot't fully understood from the following: description, taken in connection with the actmmpanying drawing, in which. l haw shown diagrrannnatically one ciohmlimcut thcrcol.

In the drawing. 13 indicates a storage battery to be charged and l; L a source of current supply. Au electrically controlled switch S when closed connects the battery to the source, and an electrically controlled switch 5 when closed short circuits the battery through a resistance it and the coil of an clectrinnagnct hereinafter referred to. The resistance R is of such a value that when the battery is in its full charged condition the current obtained when the switch S is roster than the normal discharge current. i t. M is indicated a small shunt wound motor which can be connected to the source by a control switch \i. The motor 1i through suitable. gearing drives a drum h carrying segments electrically connected together which coop crate with stationary lingers It", 71' and k which are connected, respectively, to the of the switch S, and the line .l. through the switch ii. The drum K and the linguist. It. and Ir may he of an suitable constructioi's, and are shown in a wcll known conventional manner, the arraugenu-ut of the segments being clearly indicated in the drawing.

Pivotally attached to the movable arm of the switch Vi at 3, is a lever 23 which is sup ported in a horizontal iosition, as shown, by a member 4- through a hole in which it passes. The electromagnet, abovc referred to, located in the circuit through the resistance R controlled by the switch S, is shown as comprising a coil 5, within which a movable corn 6 is arranged for movement against the force of gravity. The core 6 has an upward extension 7 which is arranged when the core is pulled up by the energization of the coil 5, to engage with the lever 3 and raise the free end I thereof. A lug 8 carried by the drum K is arranged to engage with the end of the lever l 3 when the latter is in its raised position, but when the lever is in the position shown will pass over it without engaging its end. The coil 5 is so designed that only when it receives the current which the storage battery gives when it is in its full charged condition will the core 6 be raised.

The operation of the apparatus shown is as follows: The storage battery B beingcon- 'nected to suitable terminals, corresponding to the points 10 and 11, the switch W may be closed and the motor M will commence rotating. As the drum K is rotated by the motor M in the direction of the arrow the lingers k and 7c engage on line a with cooperating segments and the actuating coil of the switch S is energized, thereby causing this switch to close which connects source L l The switch S will remain closed as long as the finger lc engages with its cooperatin segment, or until the finger engages with tie segments on the line b, but when this finger Ir ceases to so engage, the switch S will 0, on and the connection of the battery with t is source will be interrupted. The drum K continues rotating and immediately after opening of the switch S the finger k engages with its cooperating seg' ment on the line 0 and the actuating coil of the switch S is energized, thereby closing this switch. Closing of the switch S connects the coil 5 to the terminals of the storage battery B through the resistance R and if the batterhas been brought to its full charged eoiiclitifiinslthe current through the coil 5 will'be su' cient to cause the core fi to pull up, thereby causing its extension 7 to engage the lever 3 and raise the end of the same into the path of the lug -8 on the drum K. As the drum continues to rotate, the lug 8 will force the switch. W open and the motor and the control circuits will be deenergized. If, however, the battery has not been charged sufiicien-tl to give the current, through the resistance Ii and the coil 5, necessary for causing the core 6 to rise, the lu 8 will moveover the end of the lever 3 and t e motor M will continue to drive the drum K, thereby disengaging the finger k and its corresponding segment and bringing the fin er I" and its segment into engagement. Unc or this condition the switch S will open and the switch S willclose, thereby again connecting the battery to the source, a condition which will be maintained until the drum K has the battery B to the interrupting the made another revolution. From the above it will be elrar that the battery M will be alternately connected to the source and short-circuited through the resistance It and the coil 5 until the potential of the battery at normal load has been raised by cl'iarging to the value correspomling to the full charged condition of the battery, at which time the switch Vi will be opened and further charging of the battery will be prevr-mted. It is, therefore, merely necessary for the operator to close the switch W, after which the device operates automatically.

While I have shown but one form in which my invciition may be embodied, I do not wish to he understood as limiting myself thereto, since in the following claims I aim to cover all modifications which come within the scope of my invention. For example, the clectromagnet having the coil 5 might equally well be made responsive to the cur rent supplied by the battery to the circuit through the resistance R, by being connected in shunt to said resistance instead of in series with it.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, -is,-

1. In combination a storage battery, a source of current supply, automatically operating means for alternately connecting said battery to and disconnecting it from said source, and means piperaltive when said battery is disconnects from said source and responsiveto a certain cunrent from said battery for interrupting the operation of said automatically operating means.

2 In combination a storage battery, a source of current supply, automatically-opersiting means 'for alternately connecting said battery to and d-isconnect'mig it .l rom said source, and means operative when said battery is disconnection from said source and responsive to acertain current from said battery for rendering said automatically operating rneans inoperative and permanently connection of said battery with said source.

3. In combination a storage battery, a source of current supply, a switch for connectiin said battery to said source, automaticfily operating means for alternately closing and opening said switch, and means operative when said switch is open and responsjve to a certain current trom said battery for interrupting the operation of said automatically operating means.

4. In combination a storage battery, a source of currentsupply, a switch for connecti-n said battery to said source, automatica ly operating means for alternately closing and opening said switch and means operative when said switch is open and responsive to a certain current from said bat tery for rendering said automatically operating means inoperative and maintaining said switch open.

all

5. In combination a storage battery, a source of current supply, neeting said battery to said source, a switch operating means for closing said switch and automatically and periodically same temporarily, means responsive to a certain current from said battery for rendering said switch operating means inoperative, and means for rendering saidcurrent responsive meansoperative only when said switch is open.

6. In combination a storage battery, 9. source of current supply, a switch for connecting said battery to said source, an electrically operated-device for alternately closing and opening said switch, a switch for throwing said device into and out of operation, and means responsive to current from said battery for rendering said device ino erative when said current exceeds a certain value.

7. In combination a storage battery, a source of current supply, a sw1tch for connecting said battery to said source, an electrically operated device for alternately cluemg and opening said switch, a switch for throwing said device into and out of operation, and means responsive to current from said battery for opening said last mentioned switch when value.

8. In combination a storage battery, a source of current supply, a switch for connccting said battery to said source, an electrically operated device for alternately closing and opening said switch, means responsive to current from said battery for rendering said device inoperative when said current exceeds a certain value, and means controlled by said device for rendering said current responsive means operative only when said switch is open.

9. In combination a storage battery, a source of current supply, a switch for connecting said battery to said source, an electrically operated device for alternately closing and opening said switch, a control switch for throwing said device into and out of operation, means responsive to a certain current from said battery for causing the opening of said control switch, and means controlled by said device for rendering said current responsive device operative only when the first mentioned switch is open.

a switch for conopening the 1 said current exceeds a certain,

10. In combination a storage battery, a source of current supply, a resistance, switch devices for connectlng said battery to said source and for short circuiting it through said resistance, automatically operating means for controlling the operation of said switch devices, and means responsive to a certain current through said resistance for interrupting the operation of said autom atiea y operating means.

11. In combination a storage battery, a source of current supply, a resistance, switch devices for connecting said battery to said source and for short circuiting said battery through said resistance, automaticallyop'er ating means for regulatin the operation of said switch devices to e ect connection of said battery with said source and short circuiting of said battery through said resist ance alternately, and means respons ve to a certain current through said resistance for interrupting operation of said automatically operating means.

12. In combination a storage battery, a source of current supply, a resistance, a switch for connecting said battery to said source, another switch device for short circuiting said battery through said resistance, automatically operatin means for alternately closing said switc devicesiland means responsive to a certain current t rough said resistance for interrupting the operation of said automatically operating means.

13, In combination a storage battery, a source of current supply, a resistance, a switch device for connecting 'said battery to said source, a switch for short cireuiting said battery through said resistance, operated switch operating means for automatically closing said switches alternatel an electromagnet having its coil located in the circuit through said resistance and responsive to current approximately equal to t e normal discharge current of said battery when the same is fully eharged,and means operated by said electromagnct for interrupting the operatiop of said switch operating means.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 23rd day of November, 1908.

. FRANK E. CASE.

Witnesses:

BENJAMIN B. HULL, HELEN OBFORD.

electrically 

